Mendes is married to the singer Gracinha Leporace who regularly performs vocals alongside Mendes and can be heard on his 2006 version of the song Mas Que Nada with the Black Eyed Peas.
Early career
The child of a physician in Niterói, Brazil, Mendes attended the local conservatory with hopes of becoming a classical pianist. As his interest in jazz grew, he started playing in nightclubs in the late-1950s just as bossa nova, a jazz-inflected derivative of samba, was taking off. Mendes played with Antônio Carlos Jobim (whom he regarded as a mentor) and many U.S. jazz musicians who toured Brazil.
Mendes formed the Sexteto Bossa Rio and recorded Dance Moderno in 1961. Touring Europe and the United States, Mendes recorded albums with Cannonball Adderley and Herbie Mann and played Carnegie Hall. Mendes moved to the U.S. in 1964 and cut two albums under the Brasil '65 group name with Capitol Records and Atlantic Records.
Brasil '66
When sales were tepid, he replaced his Brazilian born vocalist Wanda de Sa with the distinctive voice of Chicago native Lani Hall (who learned Mendes' Portuguese material phonetically), switched to Herb Alpert's A&M label, and released Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, an album that went platinum based largely on the success of the single "Mas Que Nada" (a Jorge Ben cover) and the personal support of Alpert, with whom Mendes toured regularly.
The original lineup of Brasil '66 was Mendes (piano), vocalists Lani Hall and Janis Hansen, Bob Matthews (bass), Jose Soares (percussion), and Joao Palma (drums). John Pisano guested as guitarist. This lineup recorded three albums between 1966-1968 (including the best-selling Look Around LP), before there was a major personnel change for their fourth album Fool on the Hill.
Karen Philipp replaced Hansen as the second female vocalist, while veteran drummer Dom Um Romão teamed with Rubens Bassini to assume percussionist duties. Sebastiao Neto was the new bassist and Oscar Castro-Neves the guitarist. This lineup had a more orchestral and big band sound than their predecessors. Most significantly, in the early 1970s, lead singer Hall pursued a solo career and became Alpert's second wife. Some accounts claim that Mendes was upset with Alpert for years for "stealing" Hall away from his group.
Though his early singles with Brasil '66 (most notably "Mas Que Nada") met with some success, Mendes really burst into mainstream prominence when he performed the Oscar-nominated Burt Bacharach and Hal David song The Look of Love on the Academy Awards telecast in April 1968. Brasil '66's version of the song quickly shot into the top 10, peaking at #4, and eclipsing Dusty Springfield's version from the soundtrack of the movie, Casino Royale. Mendes spent the rest of 1968 enjoying consecutive top 10 and top 20 hits with his follow-up singles, "The Fool on the Hill" and "Scarborough Fair". From 1968 on, Mendes was arguably the biggest Brazilian star in the world, enjoying immense popularity worldwide and performing in venues as varied as stadium arenas and the White House, where he gave concerts for both Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Middle career
Mendes' career in the U.S. stalled in the mid-1970s, but he remained very popular in South America and Japan. His two albums with Bell Records in 1973 and 1974, followed by several for Elektra from 1975 on, found Mendes continuing to mine the best in American pop music and post-bossa writers of his native Brazil, while forging new directions in soul with collaborators like Stevie Wonder, who wrote Mendes' R&B-inflected minor hit, "The Real Thing".
In 1983, he rejoined Alpert's A&M records and enjoyed huge success with a self-titled album and several follow-up albums, all of which received considerable adult contemporary airplay with charting singles. "Never Gonna Let You Go", featuring vocals by Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller, equalled the success of his 1968 single "The Look of Love" by reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also spent four weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart. In 1984, Mendes worked with singer Lani Hall again.
By the time Mendes released his Grammy-winning Elektra album Brasileiro in 1992, he was the undisputed master of pop-inflected Brazilian jazz. The late-1990s lounge music revival brought retrospection and respect to Mendes' oeuvre, particularly the classic Brasil '66 albums. His stature in his native Brazil is reflected by "Cantor de Mambo", a song by fellow Brazilians Os Mutantes, which they regularly dedicate to Mendes in concert.
Later career
Timeless features a wide array of neo-soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, most prominently will.i.am and the Black Eyed Peas. It was released February 14, 2006 by Concord Records.
The album features the Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, India.Arie, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Q-Tip, Stevie Wonder and Pharoahe Monch.
The 2006 re-recorded version of "Mas que Nada" with the Black Eyed Peas had additional vocals by Gracinha Leporace (Mendes' wife); a version that is included on his album Timeless. In Brazil, the song is pretty well-known for being the theme song for the local television channel Globo's Estrelas.
The Black Eyed Peas' version also contains a sample of their 2004 hit "Hey Mama". The re-recorded song became popular on many European charts. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at #29 and rose to and peaked at #6 on its second week on the chart.
Official website of Sérgio Mendes: http://www.sergiomendesmusic.com
Mundo Hermoso
Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hang it on a tree.
For that's the way to start to make a pretty world,
For you and for me.
And for the sun we'll take a lemon bright balloon,
You can hold the string.
Oh, can't you see that little world of ours will be,
We can gather rain enough for the stream,
To hold our happy faces.
When you want a breeze,
I'll blow you a kiss or two.
Take me in your arms and our little world,
Will be the place of places.
Nothing must be made but breakfast and love.
We'll hang a little sign that just says, "Paradise,
Population two."
I know together,
We can make a pretty world,
For me and for you -- for you,
It's what I'm longing to do -- to do,
To make a world with you.
Take me in your arms,
And our little world
Will be the place of places.
Nothing must be made but breakfast and love.
We'll hang a little sign that just says, "Paradise,
Population two."
I know together,
We can make a pretty world,
For me and for you -- for you,
It's what I'm longing to do -- to do,
To make a world...
With you
The lyrics of Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66's song "Pretty World" is a beautiful ode to finding joy and creating happiness in small things. The song encourages listeners to take a piece of the sky, hang it on a tree, and start creating a world that is pretty for both them and their loved ones. The song sets a romantic tone mentioning the idea of holding onto a string, gathering rain, and blowing kisses to create a beautiful world that is full of happiness and only requires love and breakfast to sustain it. The lyrics describe the feeling of being with someone and creating a world that is perfect in its own way, a world that only belongs to two people.
The song can be interpreted as a reminder to appreciate the small things in life, and how even the simplest gestures can make a big difference. By hanging a piece of the sky on a tree, we can create a beautiful world around us. Similarly, in relationships, it is the little things that matter the most. The song's idea of creating a paradise with only two people speaks to the importance of cherishing and nurturing relationships with loved ones. Overall, the lyrics of "Pretty World" convey a beautiful message of creating a beautiful world where love and happiness are in abundance.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't we take a little piece of summer sky,
Let's capture a piece of the beauty of summer sky and keep it with us
Hang it on a tree.
We can hang it on a tree like a beautiful ornament
For that's the way to start to make a pretty world,
This is just the beginning of creating a beautiful world
For you and for me.
For both of us to enjoy
And for the sun we'll take a lemon bright balloon,
We can use a bright balloon to represent the sun
You can hold the string.
And you can be the one to hold onto it
Oh, can't you see that little world of ours will be,
Imagine how beautiful our little world will be
The prettiest thing.
It will be the most beautiful thing ever
We can gather rain enough for the stream,
We can collect enough rainwater to create a stream
To hold our happy faces.
And it will be a happy place for us to enjoy
When you want a breeze,
Whenever you want to feel a breeze
I'll blow you a kiss or two.
I'll blow kisses your way to create a breeze
Take me in your arms and our little world,
Embrace me and our little world will be complete
Will be the place of places.
It will be the most special place ever
Nothing must be made but breakfast and love.
We don't need anything else except breakfast and love
We'll hang a little sign that just says, "Paradise,
We'll put up a sign that says "Paradise"
Population two."
Only two people inhabit this paradise
I know together,
I'm certain that together
We can make a pretty world,
We can create a truly beautiful world
For me and for you -- for you,
For both of us - especially you
It's what I'm longing to do -- to do,
This is my deepest desire
To make a world...
To create a truly special world
With you
Together with you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Spirit Music Group
Written by: ALAN BERGMAN, MARILYN BERGMAN, N ADOLFO, N GASPAR ARIAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomvalveede6808
I LOVED Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66, as a young 13 year old, and still do now. I had to have each new record album every year, and would get them for Christmas and my birthday.
When a concert was announced, my mom went on the first day and got tickets on the front row for me, my twin sister, my brother, my Aunt Coco and herself. It was the first time having front row seats, and the concert was a Dream!
Lani Hall and Karen Phillips wore
Mod Shift dresses in Shocking Pink and Bright Orange, all covered in sparkling sequins. They were So
Beautiful, and l used their beauty to sneak up onto the stage, when the concert was over. The Security guard was transfixed on the ladies as they took their bows, that l was able to sneak in on the stair where he stood, and go through a fabric curtain.
I spoke with Sergio, told him how much l loved his music and that l had All of his albums. He gave me his autograph and also introduced me to Lani and Karen and the band.
They were all So very nice, and All gave me their autographs.
I then heard my Mom trying to explain that l was backstage, but he didn't believe her. "Lady, no one
Ever gets past me!" Then l said, Mom l'm back here, he comes to grab me, but Sergio told him it was
Alright, Please let them all pass!"
So, all of my family got to meet and speak with them all! It was night l will Never forget, mainly because they all were so Sincerely nice!
Saw Lani and Herb Alpert last year in concert. She sings as beautifully as ever! She is married to Herb Alpert.
Sergio Mendes is God's gift to the
World, with his wonderful music!
@carlgranieri4942
My wife and I had a sign made for our 1st apartment that read “Paradise Population Two” because of this song. 48 years later we still have it
@muziklvr7776
Congratulations on nearly 50 years of marriage.
@carlosrodas423
Cheers to your love!
@Savetheworldfirebidennow
HOW SWEET!!
@tamerajordan2982
I’m going to do the same thing
@armel369
That is so cute ❤
@muffs55mercury61
The girls had some of the best harmony in music at the time. So glad Lani's been blessed with a 54 year marriage and i wish here and Herb many more years of that.
@flaviocalichmansp-brasil6958
Brazilian here. Sergio Mendes is a true genius, I'm so proud of his fantastic body of work, bringing our culture and our music to millions around the world. I'm particularly fond of Brasil '65 and Brasil '66 performances, all the musicians are amazing and the singers, well, are beyond words! I've got a crush on Lani Hall for at least 35 years 😄! Sérgio, muito obrigado por tudo, meu amigo!
@BurgundyPlush
I hear this and it brings me back to childhood and all those warm memories of when times were happy and relatives were all still alive. It’s so beautiful.
@malcolmgrant6180
Amen to that my friend❤